X-Message-Number: 9618
From: "Halperin, Jim" <>
Subject: The So-called Failure of the Cryonics Movement
Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 14:45:16 -0500 

I've only been a cryonicist for about two years, so I haven't had nearly
as much time as Saul Kent to figure out why so few have signed up.
Furthermore, having spent a very pleasant day with Saul here in Dallas a
few months ago, I can attest that he is a brilliant thinker. But I also
suspect that the problem with cryonics is not nearly as simple as he
thinks. 

Ever since I first started writing The First Immortal, I've made it a
point to try to mention cryonics to nearly everyone I come into extended
contact with. After brief discussion, nearly all seem at least
temporarily convinced that the science is viable, and that those frozen
under proper conditions today would have an excellent chance of being
restored in the future (barring wars, terrorism, economic or natural
disasters, lawsuits, etc.). 

In fact, at least one-third express some immediate interest in having
themselves frozen someday. Yet I would wager that those who will
actually sign up in the current legal, political, economic, and societal
environment will number but a fraction of one-percent. The reasons for
this tragedy remain murky and in many ways unfathomable, even to its
victims. And I can assure you that the problem is a LOT more complex
than lack of research. 

Even though there is much room for improvement, I believe that we have a
great product now. I think there is an excellent chance that nanotech
will be able to restore the identities and memories of many, if not most
people frozen even under today's science. Granted, much more research is
necessary, and I do intend to invest in 21st Century Medicine, and in
other research projects. But I know there's a lot more we can and must
do. We need to make the process easier and more socially acceptable, we
need to create better and more sensible financial policies, we need to
lobby for sensible and consistent laws, and we need better "technical
support" to help new members sign up and to keep long-time members from
losing hope and quitting. We need to study human psychology, and learn
to adapt as best we can, turning in our favor factors which now work
against us, including such undeniably human phenomena as ideological
bias, social proof, incentive-caused bias (the reason Saul's pushing so
hard for more research and why I'm pushing for more publicity <g>),
psychological denial, envy, the effect of authority, our desires for
consistency and reciprocity, and about fifteen others.

To accomplish this, I believe that we must experiment, try new ideas and
approaches, and try to keep what works while discontinuing whatever
doesn't work.

That said, here is one new idea: Let's offer free cryonic preservation
of tissue samples, and, if feasible, entire brains, as an incentive for
organ donors. 

As I'm sure you know, there is currently a severe shortage of viable
organs. Thousands of people die every year while awaiting organ
transplants. Unfortunately, only a minority of those who say they would
be willing to be listed as organ donors actually get around to signing
the papers, presumably because they don't expect to die, don't want to
think about their own deaths, and because it is so easy not to bother. 

Notice any similarities?

But what if we could somehow link identity preservation with organ
donation in the public's mind? Might that not benefit both causes (organ
donation by rewarding altruism, and cryonics by adding an altruistic
meme to our "selfish" motives)?

And here is my offer:
As soon as at least one cryonics organization agrees to freeze tissue
(i.e. DNA) samples, and to accept human brains for cryonic preservation
in perpetuity until identity recreation is accomplished, each at a
realistic price (if more than one cryonics organization signs on, I will
probably go with the least expensive one so I can fund more of them),
I'll immediately begin approaching organ donation registries. Assuming
that at least one major organ donation registry is willing to give
prospective donors the option of allowing, upon their deaths, their
tissue samples and/or brains to be preserved for possible cloning and/or
reconstruction and reanimation in the future, I would fund such a
program with my own money, up to $100,000 for tissue preservation, plus
an additional $500,000 for brain preservation (total $600,000).

Something similar to the following wording might be added to the organ
donor cards distributed by any organ registries willing to participate:

"[  ] I also give you permission to collect tissue samples from my body
after my death, and, if feasible, to remove my entire brain. At the sole
option of (name of cryonics organization), these may be cryonically
frozen or otherwise preserved at no cost to me, in case scientists of
the future ever possess the technology to clone me, or even to
reconstruct some or all of my memories and identity. In the event that
such preservation occurs, my family and the families of any persons
receiving my other organs, may be notified of the location of my
preserved tissue samples and/or brain, both immediately and at any point
in the future when (name of cryonics organization) believes that such
reconstruction technology actually exists. I recognize that, due to
scientific or legal constraints, there may be no possibility of cloning
me or reconstructing my identity at any future time. However, valuable
scientific knowledge might nonetheless be derived from preservation and
study. Therefore in any case, regardless of the extent of brain damage,
I request that (name of cryonics organization) be offered this portion
of my anatomical donation to be accepted or rejected, preserved, used,
or discarded at their sole discretion."

Needless to say, the wording on the organ donor cards can be changed to
accommodate any cryonics organizations who wish to be involved.

Now why would I be willing to put up over half a million dollars for
such a program, especially when the cryonics movement has so many other
pressing needs (research, lobbying for cryonics legislation, publishing
of scientific studies, etc.)? Well, obviously, I see this as a good way
to publicize The First Immortal. Besides, I do intend to support other
cryonics endeavors to varying extents. But I'm putting the bulk of my
efforts behind this approach, at least for now, because I want to
publicize my novel in a way that could benefit and help popularize
cryonics, and because this program has the potential to deliver
tremendous "bang for the buck." Imagine if hundreds of thousands of
people nationwide had legally agreed to the cryonic suspension of their
tissue samples and brains! Imagine how many of these would be disposed
to contribute their energy, time and money to cryonics research,
lobbying and other common goods. (Granted, very few will actually wind
up being frozen on this basis, but to challenge the mind-sets of that
many people seems like an irresistible opportunity.) 

Here's my plan, subject to input from the cryonics community:

Once any cryonics organization(s) officially agree, I will approach
several leading organ donation registries with an offer of $100,000 of
funding for the cryonic preservation in perpetuity of tissue-samples of
registered organ donors who die having requested such preservation. I
will also offer to fund cryonic brain preservation up to $500,000 for
such donors, if any, whose brains are deemed appropriately preservable
by the cryonics organization involved. (Given current organ donation
procedures, there may be virtually none who qualify for brain
preservation, but just the act of agreeing to such preservation by tens
of thousands of organ donors might help change popular attitudes. The
next step of this process will be to convince organ donation
organizations to revamp their procedures in such a way that preserves
the information in the brains of donors, at which point the second
portion of this program might become truly relevant.) 

Upon acceptance by any recognized organ donation registry, I will
establish an escrow account with $600,000 in cash or securities from my
charitable foundation. These funds will be used to pay for the
preservations as required.

Here are what I see as the major advantages and disadvantages of such a
program:

ADVANTAGES:
1) 	What more natural ally could cryonicists hope to attract than
the organ donation constituency? After all, both groups embrace both
science and human life. 
2) 	It might give organ donors more impetus to sign up --- somewhat
like getting a free T-shirt (or lottery ticket) when you give blood.
3) 	It might result in a great deal of mostly favorable publicity
for cryonics, and increased awareness of the plight of organ transplant
candidates.
4) 	It seems apparent that, at least from a public relations
standpoint, freezing heads gives us the worst of both worlds: i.e. It is
both macabre and incomplete. But freezing the brain alone --- ah, now
that would seem a much easier sell. After all, with brain-only cryonics,
storage would be significantly cheaper, and the body itself could still
undergo any "normal" religious or societal ritual such as embalming,
viewing, burial, cremation or whatever. In such a case, the patient has
simply allowed one of his or her organs to be preserved for future use,
a permission which has already been granted by literally millions of
organ donors nationwide, and which is today, paradoxically, viewed as
not only acceptable but admirable. 
5) 	It might become a national news story, which would help
publicize my novel, The First Immortal. TFI is a good vehicle, I'm told,
for introducing people to cryonics. Additionally, all of my royalties
from the book will be donated to cryonics and other health or education
causes.
6) 	It might help get the public "used to" the idea of
cryopreservation.
7) 	It might help reduce the prevailing meme that cryonics is
unacceptably selfish.
8) 	We might learn more about the public's attitudes about
cryopreservation by offering people the chance to have it done free, and
without freezing their entire heads, and, specifically, their faces.
(Cost and/or inability to keep the outer body intact for burial might
well turn out to have been the greatest obstacles to cryonics.)
9) 	The program might offer excellent experience-gathering
opportunities for cryonics organizations in terms of freezing and other
preservation techniques.
10) 	Unanticipated benefits from scale economies may be realized.
11) 	Since there is would be fewer social taboos involved than exist
with traditional cryonics enrollment, a surprisingly high number of
organ donors might sign up, adding a certain "social proof" (i.e. lots
of people are doing it, so maybe it's acceptable after all) aspect to
the common view of cryonics. 
12) 	Such a program might help facilitate the enactment of specific
cryonics laws in various states. In my opinion, this would nearly always
be better than the current situation of having no statutes at all,
leaving cryonicists perpetually vulnerable to the whims of self-serving
or crusading bureaucrats (a la Dora Kent).
13) 	Furthermore, once people commit by signing up, even if it's
free, they have already taken an important first step. Many organ donors
might wish to upgrade their level of service to "freeze my brain even if
my other organs can't help anyone else." I believe that, should we offer
such an option, we will discover that a surprisingly high number of
people who would not sign for cryonics under present conditions, would
willingly pay $5000-10,000 or more (in advance or, at worst, on a
two-year installment plan) for brain-only preservation (which could be
credited toward suspension fees if they ever decide to upgrade again to
neuro or full-body suspension). 
14) 	I also believe that even at only $5000-10,000 per brain,
advance-payment members will prove much more valuable to the financial
health of cryonics organizations than life insurance-funded members are,
because while these advance-payment members remain alive, the
organization can invest these funds and use the income for research and
other worthwhile endeavors. And many if not most of those who sign up
for brain-only cryonics will advance the movement through donations of
money, ideas, evangelism, and/or labor.

DISADVANTAGES:
1) 	Under current procedures, organ transplant donors tend to be
among the worst candidates for cryopreservation, since their bodies must
be kept alive long after brain death in order to keep the organs viable.
This is especially true now, since the brain must be maintained at body
temperature without blood flow for at least 24 to 48 hours while
families are notified. Presumably brain ischemia would be rampant in
most organ donors, and many brains would be pure mush. However, there
may be a ground-swell of support for changing the current procedure once
people recognize the possibility of saving both the recipient and
(someday in the distant future, through nanotech or other advances in
medical science) the donor.
2) 	Some cryonics organizations fear publicity, and perhaps with
good cause. But overall, I think publicity is a net plus for cryonics.
3) 	It's easier and less risky to leave the brain in its original
"container" (i.e. the head), and there is greater likelihood of damage
to the surface of the cerebral cortex. But with nanotech, any such
damage would probably be reparable, and without nanotech the prospect of
reanimation seems dicey even with full-body suspension. Therefore, is a
marginal increase in safety and efficacy really worth alienating 90% or
more of Americans, not to mention the extra storage expense?
4) 	I will be justifiably accused of using this publicity to promote
The First Immortal. However, I am more than willing to "suffer" such
criticism. Besides, since I announced long ago that all of my royalties
from the book will be donated to charity, I hopefully won't be accused
of profiteering! 
5) 	I'm sure there are other problems I haven't thought of yet, but
I know you'll help point them out to me.

I have already received valuable input on this idea from various
cryonicists. Before I go public with this proposal, I intend to revise
it substantially based upon feedback from the greater cryonics
community. I therefore invite all comment by private e-mail or on this
forum. I would especially like to hear from each of the leading cryonics
facilities.

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